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Thermal neutron-induced γ-ray background in 124Sn
G Gupta1, H Krishnamoorthy2, A Garai2
1Department of Nuclear and Atomic Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, 400005, India.
Summary
Investigating the gamma-ray background in tin-124 (124Sn) is crucial for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) studies. This research measured activities in irradiated 124Sn, providing new half-life data and assessing background impacts.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear physics
- Particle physics
- Radioactive decay studies
Background:
- Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) searches require precise understanding of background radiation.
- Tin-124 (124Sn) is a candidate isotope for 0νββ experiments, necessitating characterization of its induced radioactivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the thermal neutron-induced gamma-ray background in 124Sn.
- To measure the half-lives of short-lived and long-lived activities in irradiated 124Sn.
- To assess the impact of these activities on 0νββ experiments targeting 124Sn.
Main Methods:
- Irradiation of a highly enriched 124Sn sample with thermal neutrons (3×1015/cm2) at the Dhruva reactor.
- Measurement of gamma-ray spectra using a low-background counting setup.
- Analysis of gamma-ray spectra to identify and quantify radioactive isotopes and their decay properties.
Main Results:
- Independent measurements of the half-life for 125Sn*(32+) as 10.01(8) minutes.
- Independent measurements of the half-life for 125Sn(112-) as 9.63(2) days.
- Identification of residual activity from 125Sb and its potential contribution to background noise.
Conclusions:
- The characterized gamma-ray background and measured half-lives provide essential data for future 0νββ experiments using 124Sn.
- High-energy gamma rays and 125Sb activity can impact the region of interest around 124Sn's Qββ value (~2.291 MeV).
- This study offers crucial insights for background reduction strategies in sensitive nuclear decay searches.
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